My Arts & Crafts Supplies!

In our town, the flyers are always delivered on Fridays. Last week, as I finished perusing them, I remarked to my husband that this was probably the last batch of flyers that wouldn't be advertising school supplies.  Like Christmas and, to a smaller extent, Halloween and Easter, Back To School is big business and the advertising starts early.  This makes me feel bad for all the kids who are still firmly entrenched in vacation mode, which of course they should be seeing as there is still as much break ahead of them as behind.  I can remember being in my childhood kitchen on August 1rst, many summers ago, and hearing the radio announcer proclaim that summer was half over. I was devastated!  And yet, for all that I wished that summer could last forever, there was one Back To School ritual that almost made it worth while to see summer coming to an end.

School supplies.

Shopping for the supplies was fun, of course, but there was something so wonderful about having that pile of new stuff just sitting in my closet, waiting.  I would tidy my room and closet in anticipation of my new things, and, once I had it all home, I would spend many hours arranging and rearranging.  Even better if it was a new school bag year as well; I loved arranging my supplies to see how it would all fit.  Careful consideration went into which subject got which colour folder.  Sometimes I tried a little reverse psychology and would assign a hated subject (MATHMATHMATH!!!) my very prettiest folder (one year it was pink!) One year we were allowed to have "Finder Binders" which housed all your subject in one handy, velcro'd binder.  Another year the thrill of my new school bag became a horror story, as all my subjects had extra heavy, oversized texts and I tore through four book bags in quick succession.  That my parent's didn't send me to school with a haversack was a miracle.  I also remember the first year we were allowed to write with ink instead of pencil (Grade 6) and how unbelievably horrible correction fluid smells at 3:00 in the afternoon in a hot classroom.  


The very best supplies were for art.  Not surprisingly, this class required the most supplies, and yet we barely ever used any of them. It was wonderful stuff though, and we got to keep it all in an shoe box art box; glue, scissors, crayons, markers, pencils, and oil pastels.   Every year those pastels showed up on our art list, and every year I would head to school excited that this would be the year we would actually use them.  You see, I was positive I was a great artist, and that those pastels would be the medium to release my talent.  Except...we never used them.  Once, once we used them, to learn about smudging.  And that was it.  I think I had the same box of unopened pastels for three years. 


Ah, memory lane!  I miss that annual ritual, and so sometimes I indulge in a little supply shopping of my own.  I've posted before about my love of notebooks and pens, and how much more organized they make me.  And now, instead of a shoe box  an art box, I have my very own craft room, full of all my wonderful stuff!  Wednesday we went to Terrace, and I picked up a few new supplies to add to my collection.  I think they're pretty great!

First up was a trip to the yarn shop, to see if I could get a spool of charcoal grey angora to finish my mitts.  I was very disappointed that they were out of it, and the search continues.  I did, however, get some beautiful new yarn that I think will make the most lovely mittens for someone on my Christmas list; Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo in Rinky Dinky Pink!  In addition to being pink and soft and pretty, this yarn has the nicest washing instructions I've ever read "Reshape whilst wet."  Any company that uses the word "whilst" is good by me!  And yes, this time I purchased two spools, just to be on the safe side!

We were doing some shopping in a large department store and I decided to pop into the craft department to pick up a crochet hook for Housewife Bliss' Housewife 101 tutorial on crocheting, which is being taught by Tehlia (Little T) of Raw Adventures of an Army Wife.  This took me a little while, as I was mesmerized by all the pretty hooks.  I was holding onto a very nice bamboo hook when I spotted the beautiful shiny plastic ones.  I have no idea if plastic crochet hooks are considered good or bad, but the colours, like old school toothbrushes, were just so pretty, I couldn't resist!  I picked one that looks like it's made of lemon drops.  Admittedly, I hadn't written down which size to buy and so I let colour guide me.  It was hard to take a picture of this that didn't have a glare in it, so I have decided that my hook clearly must have magical powers.  Do YOU have a magical crystal crochet hook??


And finally, an impulse buy!  As we were leaving the craft department, my eye spotted something familiar - Aleene's Original Tacky Glue!  I've had the same large bottle for years and it was only recently that I noticed it was getting low.  I was wondering if I would be able to find it, and then there it was!  Only it wasn't just one bottle of Aleene's...

 It was five!  Three regular, one washable, and one "Jewel -It," for gluing "plastic, metal, glass, beads; rhinestones; pearls and sequins to fabric."  Because you know, I might.  I would've given my eye teeth to have had this stuff back in junior high, when we were customizing NKOTB shirts!  All joking aside, I have a few Christmas projects that I will put my "Jewel-It" glue to use on. Ah Christmas, what would we do if we didn't have the Christmas holidays with which to indulge our secret, hidden love of glitter and other shiny things? 


And that, my friends, will be a Nesty for another day!  Have a wonderful weekend!  And hide those Back To School flyers from the kids; the glass is still half full!!!!